#EachforEqual

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

INTRODUCING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY In a country where most people embrace the notion of gender equality but where annually the statistical record suggests a gap between our desires and the reality of our societal structures International Women’s Day retains its relevance, over a century after its inception. To mark International Women’s Day 2020, we have devised a programme of events that will allow members of the College community to engage with issues that relate to the contemporary women’s movement, such as the ‘#MeToo’ campaign, and the ongoing fight for gender equality both in the UK and overseas we will celebrate the success of women across a range of fields, hear directly from women who have challenged the glass ceiling, and engage with the difficulties that face some women living in Britain today through our focus on the work of ‘Bloody Good Period’. We hope that the events, and the discussion that they will promote, will foster an atmosphere of unity, advocacy, celebration, reflection and action. It is during our childhoods and adolescence that our ideas are formed, including our ideas around what we can do, and what others should do. It is our aim that the events of this week will help promote the idea that gender should not be a barrier to either.

Georgina Stafford, Deputy Head Academic & Head of Sixth Form.

BLOODY GOOD PERIODThe issue of period poverty has achieved a significant amount of news coverage in recent months and has led to the announcement in January that all state schools in England would provide free period products to students. While this is a significant step towards reducing the impact of period poverty in the UK, there are unfortunately still groups of women who experience the financial challenges of surviving on low incomes and purchasing period products.

We will therefore be organising a collection for Bloody Good Period, a charity that works closely with some of the most vulnerable women in the UK including victims of domestic abuse and asylum seekers to ensure that they have access to free period products. Each House plus the Senior School Common Room and Senior Reception, will have collection boxes in place to receive donations throughout the week. Money raised from the non-uniform day on Friday will also be donated to this charity. More details regarding the work of Bloody Good Period can be found at: www.bloodygoodperiod.com

ONGOING EVENTS - OPEN TO ALL We will be commemorating International Women’s Day throughout the week beginning Monday 2nd March. As well as individual events, there will be several ongoing programmes and events during the week. These will include:

• ‘Board of Inequality’: Art installation in Front Quad, designed by Genny King

• Collection for ‘Bloody Good Period’

• Inspirational Women Reading Initiative-coordinated by Sarah Fox and Library team

• Women’s Health and Wellbeing Programme-coordinated by Gemma Dawson (Aberdeen, Toynbee, Woodard Girls, Burgess and Neal Houses)

• Celebration of Female Achievement across the Academic Spectrum-Senior School Academic Departments

• Students will explore the International Women’s Day theme of #EachforEqual in Houses and during tutor time

• Houses will compete during the course of the week, through the medium of TikTok, to create music videos exploring the theme of #EachforEqual

• Subject societies will explore content related to International Women’s Day in their events and activities throughout the week

TUESDAY 3RD MARCH – WOMEN IN SPORT

We are delighted to welcome a host of decorated athletes, including the Olympians Karen Pickering, MBE, and Sally Gunnell, OBE, to the College to host a workshop with our sportswomen. The session will be followed by a panel discussion between the athletes and students.

Timings: Arrival 9am, Workshops 9.30-11am, Q&A 11.15-12pm

Location: Sports Facilities and Chapel

Open To: Female Sports Scholars Year 7 - Upper Sixth, External Students (Years 4 - 6)*

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

TUESDAY 3RD MARCH – ‘TOP BANTZ’: HUMOROUS OR HARMFUL’, DR GERALDINE HORAN

The concept of ‘banter’, and where the line is drawn between what is humorous and what is damaging or offensive, is a linguistic issue that has received considerable attention in recent years. We are delighted to welcome Geraldine Horan to explore the power of language in this arena in more detail.

Geraldine Horan is Associate Professor of German Language and Linguistics at University College London. Her research focuses on language and politics (with a particular focus on feminism, anti-feminism and nationalism), taboo language, and language and identity.

Time: 7pmLocation: The Chapel Open to: Students, Parents, External Students*

WEDNESDAY 4TH MARCH – INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CHAPEL

We will be exploring the theme of #EachforEqual in Chapel, both through the content of the sermon and through a programme of music by female composers selected by Richard Stafford and performed by the Chapel Choir.

Time: 4.45pm Location: The ChapelOpen To: Senior School Students (compulsory)

ARDINGLY COLLEGE, IWD FILM FESTIVAL: HURT LOCKER

Kathryn Bigelow’s film The Hurt Locker has a unique place in the history of the Oscars, as it is the only occasion when a female director was awarded the coveted Best Director Award. Bigelow’s critically acclaimed 2008 depiction of the work of an explosive ordnance disposal team during the Iraq war is a moving depiction of the impact of combat stress.

The film will be screened alongside a brief introduction and plenary session discussing both the film and the barriers to female directors achieving recognition within the awards industry.

Time: 6.30pm (film run time 2hrs 11 minutes + introduction and plenary) Location: The UnderOpen To: Students (aged 15 and over)

IWD FILM FESTIVAL

The role of women in Hollywood has received considerable attention in the press over recent years, from the under representation of women at major awards ceremonies to the ongoing disclosures of the #MeToo movement in relation to the abuse of women in the industry. However, there are women who succeed in this industry and films that present powerful images of women and powerful examples of the complex and interesting work they undertake behind the camera. We are therefore using International Women’s Day as an opportunity to encourage our students to view films that fall into this category and to think critically about the industry and the imagery that they watch, probably on a daily basis. Hopefully encouraging them to appreciate that there can be more to women in the film industry than on screen stereotypes.

THURSDAY 5TH MARCH ASSEMBLY – RESULTS AND SCREENING OF THE TIKTOK VIDEOS

Students will have the opportunity to see a screening of the videos made for the competition on the theme #EachforEqual and the winner, judged by a combination of popular vote and the opinions of our guest speakers over the course of the week, will be announced.

Time: 8.20amLocation: The ChapelOpen to: Senior School Students (compulsory)

ARDINGLY COLLEGE, IWD FILM FESTIVAL: WONDER WOMAN

Patty Jenkins’ commercially successful superhero film from the DC Comics franchise, is the highest grossing film produced by a female director and the first major superhero film to feature a female lead with Gal Gadot taking on the eponymous lead role.

The film will be screened alongside a brief introduction and plenary session discussing the importance of the film as a feminist work and the commercial barriers to films which focus on female characters.

Time 6.30pm (film run time 2hrs 29 minutes + introduction and plenary) Location: The UnderOpen To: Students

IWD SOPHOS

The popular Senior School discussion forum Sophos, will host a special discussion around the theme of feminism, where Senior School students, under the guidance of the Thijs Kolks, Head of Philosophy will debate and discuss topical philosophical perspectives on this theme.

Time: 6.45pm Location: Lower Library Open To: Students (Sophos members)

FRIDAY 6TH MARCH – CAREERS PANEL

We are fortunate enough to welcome a range of women from a variety of careers that traditionally have a gender gap to address our students about their experiences in these industries and the pressures on women in the workplace. Panel members will include the following:

Hayley Geffin is Head of Communications & PR at law firm Mishcon de Reya. She read English at Oxford University and attended Ardingly College from 1997 to 2002.

Jemma Read is Global Head of Corporate Philanthropy at Bloomberg. She read English at Oxford University and completed her Masters in Anglo-American Studies at UCL. She attended Ardingly College from 1986 to 1993.

Sonya Rees is a Director at tax, accounting and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg. She read Geography at Oxford University and attended Ardingly College from 1986 to 1996.

Lucy Tardrew is a Captain with Virgin Atlantic. She read Psychology at Nottingham University and attended Ardingly College from 1982 to 1984.

Time: 1.45pm Location: The Chapel Open to: Senior School students, External Students*

NUSRAT GHANI MP

Our final event will see Nusrat Ghani, Conservative MP for Wealden address the College. Nusrat was the first female Muslim MP to address the House of Commons from the dispatch box; not only will she share with us her experiences in Parliament but also her work in relation to the development of female education in Afghanistan.

Time: 6.30pmLocation: The Chapel Open to: Students, Parents, External Students*

*If you are interested in attending our public events, please book your tickets using www.ardingly.com/IWDevents

WEDNESDAY 11TH MARCH – SUPPORTING PEOPLE DURING THE MENOPAUSE

The menopause is a natural life transition that every woman will experience. Yes, it can be challenging. It can also represent the most powerful and potent time of a woman’s life.

This two-hour session is for anyone interested in learning about this life transition, for personal (or professional) purposes. The evening will be led by Katie Day and Dr Roger Prentis, who run RDP International Ltd. Katie and Roger run midlife sessions for women and men all around the UK and further afield.

They are members of the British Menopause Society and work in close partnership with leading gynaecologists and experts in men’s health.

During the evening, they will cover:

• Positioning the menopause• Katie’s personal experience• The potential impact on women and those around them• Tips on opening the conversation• What you can do to support yourself as a woman• What you can do to support women in your life (personally and professionally)• What organisations can do to ensure they adopt best practice and retain key

talent and expertise.

There will a chance to interact and ask questions, and Katie and Roger will provide an opportunity to keep in touch via their e-newsletter.

Time: 7.00pmLocation: Drama LabsOpen to: Students, Parents

Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6SQTel: 01444 893000